The DC Extended Universe is no more, and over the next couple of years, we'll see the SnyderVerse, Arrowverse, and nearly every other world from the pre-DC Studios regime fade away.
Part-reboot, part-continuation, the DCU looks set to offer fans a long-overdue shared universe with an actual plan in place that, we hope, will do these characters justice. James Gunn and Peter Safran are in charge of DC Studios, and they've now answered many of our most burning questions during a Q&A that took place this past Monday.
From continuity queries to plans for the Multiverse, Michael Keaton's Batman, and how much of the "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" slate we've actually seen, this clears an awful lot up.
Find the answers to your most burning questions by tapping the NEXT button below!
10. Should We Bother Watching 2023's DC Movies?
2023 will see the release of Shazam! Fury of the Gods, The Flash, Blue Beetle, and Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom. Each is exciting in its own right, but with a reboot looming, why should fans bother watching these films?
Well, perhaps because they will have at least some tentative links to the new DCU.
"I think that we’ve gotten lucky with the next four movies, frankly, because we have Shazam, which leads into Flash, which resets everything, which then goes into Blue Beetle, which is totally disconnected," Gunn says. "He can totally be a part of the DCU, [and that] goes into Aquaman, which leads into Superman, our first big project."
9. Will We Get R-Rated Movies?
Despite being part of the DCEU, The Suicide Squad was R-Rated, while Peacemaker was made for mature audiences as well. Gunn sounds open to telling more stories like those, but it seems commercially friendly blockbusters are now the biggest priority for DC Studios.
"It depends on the story. I mean, we’re going to give every story what it deserves. Some things we know. Superman: Legacy is definitely something that we would like to be PG-13. I’m going to make sure of that."
"Other things like the Waller TV show are little bit more mature," he continues. "And we have other things that are a little bit more aimed towards young women or kids, that are still within this world that kind of feeds everything back into the Supermans and the Braves and the Bolds that everyone gets."
8. Is This All Of Chapter 1?
A total of ten projects were revealed yesterday, with "Chapter 1: Gods and Monsters" seemingly comprised of five films and five TV shows. However, it seems these barely scratch the surface of what DC Studios has planned.
"We haven’t announced everything in chapter one," Safran confirms. "There’s some stuff that comes beyond this. So let’s just say it just it’s too early to talk about that, but it becomes very clear what the story is."
Gunn adds, "This is half of it."
7. Is There A DC Multiverse Now?
The Multiverse has become a popular storytelling device, with both the MCU and DCEU making use of it recently. The Flash was meant to rewrite reality and lay the groundwork for Crisis on Infinite Earths, arguably the ultimate Multiverse story.
Moving into this new era, does the Multiverse actually still exist?
"The DCU is a Multiverse, but we’re going to be focusing on one universe from that Multiverse," explains Safran. "And if something isn’t DCU, we’re going to make that very clear."
"So strictly adult fare like Todd Phillips’ Joker, or kids animation like Teen Titans Go!," he continued, "we’re going to make it very clear that those are DC Elseworlds just the same way you can do it in the comics."
6. Does The Flash Set Up The New DCU?
There's almost certainly a totally different version of The Flash we'll now never get to see. Henry Cavill's cameo from the end of the film must have been cut, and there are rumours Michael Keaton and Sasha Calle no longer stick around as Batman and Supergirl (which makes total sense for the new DCU).
"We had input on it for sure, but there was nothing we had to do in order to set up," Safran said when asked if they're using The Flash to reboot this franchise.
"Can I also say The Flash is [frick]ing amazing?" Gunn interjected. "Like it’s one of the best superhero movies I’ve ever seen. Andy Muschietti did an amazing job and I’m really excited for everybody to see it."
5. Is Michael Keaton Already Done As Batman?
Remaining on the subject of The Flash, we're sure many of you would like to know what the future holds in store for Michael Keaton's Batman.
There had been plans for him to reprise the role in Batgirl, Aquaman and the Lost Kingdom, and Batman Beyond, and even though Gunn isn't closing the door on more Batman '89, it doesn't sound likely.
"We are a Multiverse, still. But the main thing that we’re focusing on right now is creating the universe that people can kind of put their feet into," he says. "And then out of that, if we want to have Multiverse tales, [we can]. Which I actually know one of the things we’re working on is a Multiverse tale."
4. How Much To They Have Planned Out?
When DC Studios was formed, we heard a lot about Warner Bros. Discovery's 10-year plan for the DC Universe. The projects revealed yesterday will take us through 2027, so do Gunn and Safran know what's next?
"We’re not making it up as we go along," the former made clear. "The 8-10 year plan is two chapters and there’s an ending to our basic story that we tell there, but it’s not the ending of the universe."
"So, now, will Peter and I be here beyond that time? [Laughs] I’m already tired. It’s been two months," Gunn adds. "But those first two chapters are worked out, and then it can go on from there."
3. Are We Getting Big Event Movies?
There was no mention of Justice League or any team-up movies during yesterday's slate reveal, though that perhaps shouldn't come as a surprise given how tainted the brand is.
Gunn stopped short of promising an eventual Avengers: Endgame-style event, but suggested crossovers are on the table.
"Everything is crossing over throughout. These characters are all interacting throughout the different stories. It doesn’t mean always, you know; Brave and the Bold may just be Batman and Robin and the characters involved in that. But I know a lot of other times the characters cross over."
"I know in Creature Commandos one of the main characters shows up in Waller."
2. Are They Worried About The Reboot Confusing People?
We've taken you through this Q&A and still can't definitively say whether the DCU is a full reboot or not. Like you, we're hardcore comic book fans, so what about causal moviegoers?
Henry Cavill's Man of Steel just showed up in Black Adam, but a new actor will play him in Superman: Legacy. That could cause confusion.
"We have a lot to prove," Gunn acknowledges. "It’s going to be up to us to show the audience what our universe is, how this is connected, [and to] clearly demarcate what is DCU and what is Elseworlds, and to move like that going [forward]. So it’s going to take some time."
Safran adds, "It’s going to take some sort of explanation. But we’re very confident that by the time Superman: Legacy comes out that people will understand what the DCU is."
1. Why Should Fans Trust This DCU Slate?
It's a good question, right? Warner Bros. announced a DC slate in 2014 that never truly came to fruition, and the DCEU has since been left in disarray. Given how unreliable the studio has proven to be, it's not unfair to say that it's asking a lot of fans to buy into this new shared world.
"The biggest difference is I’ve done it," Gunn said of how this slate differs from the last one. "So I started Guardians one with a story of what that trilogy was, where it started and where it ended. And that story is just the smaller version of doing this. I’ve been inside a company that did it very well, [but] it’s very different than us."
"Marvel didn’t have everything completely worked out ahead of time. But they did a lot of things really well, one of which is not giving up," he adds. "And I really love that about Kevin [Feige] and Lou [D’Esposito] and the whole gang. I’ve seen them turn bad movies into okay movies, okay movies into good movies, and good movies into great movies because they do not f***ing stop."
"They give it whatever it needs to make it as good as it can possibly be until the 11th hour. And they’ll be editing the day before the premiere. It’s a lot. Too much."
h/t io9.com